The battlefield had become impossible to follow.
Explosions answered explosions.
Contracts illuminated the sky like stars colliding.
No one remained untouched by the war.
Alexander drove his spear forward.
Arya slipped to the side, the tip grazing past her shoulder before she answered with a sweeping kick.
Alexander caught her ankle.
Arya twisted with the motion instead of resisting it, planting one hand against the ground before driving her free heel toward his jaw.
Alexander leaned away.
A smile crossed his face.
"You've improved."
Arya landed lightly.
"So have you."
Neither lowered their guard.
Around them, the battlefield trembled.
Cyclone crashed through a ruined wall as Poison's crimson blade narrowly missed his neck.
Cyclone recovered instantly.
His contract ignited.
Wind exploded beneath his feet.
He vanished.
Poison didn't move.
A heartbeat later…
Cyclone appeared behind him.
His fist cut through Poison's chest.
Or…
What should have been his chest.
The body dissolved into liquid crimson.
"…Again."
Cyclone jumped backward.
The blood surged upward, reforming Poison's body as though nothing had happened.
Poison sighed.
"I was hoping you'd stop falling for that."
Cyclone frowned.
"It wasn't a mistake."
"No?"
"You have to become liquid eventually."
Poison smiled.
"So I do."
Dozens of crimson spikes erupted from the puddle beneath Cyclone's feet.
Cyclone launched himself skyward just before they pierced the earth.
Poison flicked his wrist.
The spikes curved.
Cyclone twisted through the air.
Barely avoiding them.
Neither had landed a decisive blow.
Neither intended to.
Across the battlefield…
Arya glanced toward Poison.
Poison glanced toward Alexander.
Their eyes met.
Simultaneously.
An idea.
Poison grinned.
"SWTICH!"
Arya didn't hesitate.
A smirk spread across her face.
"Thought you'd never ask."
Alexander's eyes widened slightly.
Cyclone looked confused.
Before either man understood…
The battlefield shifted.
Poison burst toward Alexander.
Arya accelerated toward Cyclone.
Alexander immediately recognized the danger.
"So that's your plan."
Poison laughed.
"You like close combat."
Golden sparks erupted as Alexander met Poison's crimson blade with his own weapon.
Poison leaned forward.
"I've got plenty of that."
Meanwhile…
Cyclone rushed Arya.
Unlike Poison…
Arya welcomed speed.
She pivoted.
Redirected his momentum.
Then struck.
Cyclone's own velocity worked against him.
He skidded across shattered stone.
Arya smiled.
"Much better."
Cyclone slowly stood.
"…I don't like this."
"You don't have to."
She was already moving.
Elsewhere…
The final Jerusalem soldier collapsed to one knee.
Luna released a quiet breath.
The pale hands emerging from the earth slowly disappeared.
Emma looked around.
"They're safe."
"For now."
Neither woman relaxed.
Wars had a habit of creating new enemies.
As though answering the thought…
A pressure settled over the battlefield.
Heavy.
Ancient.
Emma's expression changed.
"…Someone's coming."
From the drifting dust…
A single figure emerged.
An elderly man.
White robes.
A weathered staff.
His pace was slow.
Unhurried.
Yet every Jerusalem soldier who saw him immediately bowed their heads.
Poison remembered him.
The General.
The one who had nearly killed him.
The old man stopped several meters away from Emma and Luna.
His tired eyes examined them.
"So…"
His voice carried no anger.
"…You are the children causing Jerusalem so much trouble."
Emma stepped forward.
"You'll have to get through us."
The old general smiled gently.
"I was afraid you'd say that."
Before another word could be spoken…
A roar split the battlefield.
Baron.
His patience had finally broken.
Enough.
He threw Saijew backward with a devastating strike before extending one hand toward the heavens.
The air changed.
The clouds parted.
Golden lightning gathered above.
Magnolia froze.
No…
Not fear.
Recognition.
Master Bolt.
Baron's voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Disappear."
The heavens answered.
The pillar of divine light descended.
Saijew's eyes widened.
Too late.
He couldn't move.
Then…
Someone spoke.
Not aloud.
Within Magnolia's soul.
Soft.
Warm.
Ancient.
"My sun."
Magnolia's heart stopped.
Ra.
There was no time to think.
Only move.
Magnolia disappeared.
Valentina reached toward him.
"MAGNOLIA!"
He shoved Saijew aside.
The world vanished beneath sunlight.
Master Bolt struck.
The battlefield erupted.
Stone melted.
The earth split open.
Silence followed.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
The dust slowly settled.
A figure remained standing.
Magnolia.
His shirt had burned away entirely.
His chest rose and fell.
Unmarked.
Saijew stared.
"…Impossible."
The scar…
The scar was gone.
Not faded.
Gone.
Perfect skin.
As though Master Bolt had never touched him before.
Above Magnolia…
For the briefest instant…
Saijew swore he saw the silhouette of a hawk spread its wings.
Then it vanished.
Magnolia slowly opened his eyes.
Golden.
Brighter than before.
Calmer than before.
He reached toward empty air.
A khopesh formed naturally within his hand.
No hesitation.
No surprise.
Only instinct.
Baron frowned.
"What…"
Magnolia moved.
The khopesh collided against Baron's blade.
Before Baron could counter…
The weapon dissolved into light.
A staff appeared.
Magnolia spun.
The staff struck Baron's ribs.
Another flash.
Claws extended over Magnolia's fingers.
He slashed.
Golden arcs carved across the battlefield.
Baron staggered backward.
His eyes widened.
Magnolia was no longer reacting.
He was dictating the battle.
Sunlight gathered around Magnolia's hands.
Knives.
Six of them.
He flicked his wrist.
Each knife flew from a different angle.
Baron blocked four.
The fifth shattered his guard.
The sixth rested against his throat.
Silence.
Baron breathed heavily.
"…You've…"
Magnolia lowered his hand.
"…Lost."
For the first time since becoming Ra's contractor…
Magnolia and Ra fought as one.
Saijew smiled.
Only once.
Then turned.
"Chloe."
She barely had time to react.
His blade met hers.
The true General of Egypt had returned.
Chapter
The battlefield had changed.
The desperation that once consumed every exchange had begun to disappear.
For the first time…
Egypt was advancing.
Golden feathers swept through the air.
Asam folded one wing around herself as Valerie's vines burst upward from the shattered earth.
The vines tightened.
The feathers answered.
Thousands of razor-thin plumes tore through the living branches before exploding outward.
Valerie stumbled backward.
"…They're stronger."
"They're adapting."
Calix corrected without taking his eyes off Ren.
Ren laughed.
"I prefer learning."
Their swords met once more.
The impact echoed throughout the battlefield.
Ren drove forward relentlessly.
Not wildly.
Confidently.
Every exchange became heavier.
Sharper.
Calix was smiling.
"So this is the prince everyone keeps talking about."
"I'm not a prince."
"…No?"
Ren forced Calix backward another step.
"I'm just stubborn."
Calix barely avoided a slash aimed toward his shoulder.
"Those are usually the dangerous ones."
Nearby, Amelia and Sous fought in perfect rhythm.
A wall of stone erupted beneath Amelia's feet, launching her into the air.
Without looking…
Sous extended one hand.
Golden scales floated beside her.
The moment Helena's spear crossed the battlefield…
The scales intercepted it.
Metal screamed against divine light.
Amelia landed safely.
"You always know where I am."
Sous didn't look away from the battlefield.
"I have to."
Amelia smiled.
"I'll pretend that's sentimental."
"It wasn't."
"It sounded close enough."
Even Asam laughed.
For a moment…
The battlefield almost felt alive again.
⸻
Elsewhere…
General Saijew surveyed the front lines.
"The left flank."
One captain immediately saluted.
"Recovered."
"The eastern wall?"
"Secure."
"The wounded?"
"Already being evacuated."
Saijew nodded once.
Years of experience had returned order to complete chaos.
Soldiers who had been moments away from breaking now stood together once more.
Someone raised a sword.
"We're pushing them back!"
A cheer erupted.
Another soldier laughed.
"We've done it!"
Even Valentina allowed herself a quiet smile.
Emma looked toward Magnolia.
"You alright?"
Magnolia exhaled slowly.
"…I think so."
His body still felt different.
Lighter.
As though sunlight flowed through every vein.
Ra remained silent.
Yet Magnolia no longer felt alone.
⸻
Deep beneath the Greek Palace…
Silence.
Five children huddled together beneath broken support beams.
One little boy covered his sister's mouth.
"They'll hear us…"
A crash echoed overhead.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Another.
Closer.
The youngest girl began crying.
"I want to go home…"
Then…
The wall exploded inward.
Stone scattered across the chamber.
Sunlight poured inside.
Two figures stepped through the dust.
Jema.
Nema.
The twins smiled simultaneously.
"There you are."
The children screamed.
One attempted to run.
Jema appeared before him.
She crouched.
"No need to be afraid."
Her smile never changed.
"We're taking you somewhere safe."
The boy shook violently.
"I don't want to go…"
Nema sighed.
"None of you ever do."
She gently lifted the smallest child into her arms.
One by one…
The remaining four were gathered.
No violence.
No struggle.
Only frightened tears.
Jema looked toward the shattered ceiling.
She raised two fingers.
A brilliant flare shot into the sky.
High above the battlefield…
Alexander saw it.
His shoulders relaxed.
A smile crossed his face.
"They found them."
Cyclone glanced upward.
"So…"
"It's over."
Poison frowned.
"…What?"
Alexander lowered his sword.
"The mission is complete."
Across the battlefield…
Every Jerusalem soldier who saw the flare began withdrawing.
Not retreating.
Withdrawing.
Ordered.
Disciplined.
The formation shifted immediately.
Defensive lines formed around the rear.
The injured were carried away.
Nobody pursued unnecessary combat.
They had achieved exactly what they came for.
Emma watched in confusion.
"…They're leaving?"
Saijew's expression hardened.
"No…"
"They're finished."
⸻
Within the palace ruins…
Jema looked toward her sister.
"Everyone?"
Nema counted quietly.
"…Five."
Jema nodded.
"Then the invasion ends."
The twins disappeared into the collapsing corridors.
The frightened children clung tightly to one another.
Not understanding why.
Only knowing the battle outside had suddenly become much quieter.
⸻
Far above the battlefield…
Nero opened his eyes.
"They succeeded."
Across from him…
The Pharaoh remained motionless.
His gaze never left the battlefield below.
Never left Magnolia.
Never left Ren.
For several long moments…
Neither ruler spoke.
Then Nero stood.
The motion was almost imperceptible.
His robes settled around him.
His fingers no longer tapped the armrest.
Time resumed its ordinary rhythm.
"The children are safe."
He looked toward the Pharaoh.
"Your move is next."
The Pharaoh finally closed his hand around the arm of his throne.
The ancient stone cracked beneath his grip.
Slowly…
He rose to his feet.
Below…
General Saijew's heart sank.
"…No."
Magnolia looked toward him.
"What is it?"
Saijew never answered.
His eyes remained fixed upon the distant throne.
His face had gone pale.
"The King…"
For the first time during the entire battle…
General Saijew was afraid.
And the battlefield, though no one yet understood why, had only just reached the doorstep of its true defeat.
Silence.
For the first time since the battle began…
No one moved.
Not because they were ordered to.
Because something had changed.
The flare Jema had launched still burned above the battlefield before slowly fading into the afternoon sky.
Jerusalem had completed its objective.
The children had been found.
The invasion had ended.
Alexander lowered his spear.
"Fall back."
There was no hesitation.
No celebration.
Every Jerusalem soldier obeyed.
Their formations shifted with practiced precision.
The wounded were gathered.
Defensive lines formed.
Even Cyclone disengaged from Arya without complaint.
Arya blinked.
"…They're retreating?"
Poison lowered the crimson blade in his hand.
"No."
He watched Alexander.
"They're leaving."
There was a difference.
Retreat meant failure.
This…
This was completion.
Alexander looked across the battlefield one last time.
His eyes briefly met Magnolia's.
Neither spoke.
Neither needed to.
Then Alexander turned.
"The children come first."
His soldiers answered with a single unified salute.
Nothing more.
The battlefield slowly quieted.
Across Egypt's lines, exhausted soldiers began laughing.
One man fell onto his knees.
"We did it…"
Another helped his friend stand.
"They're running!"
Cheers spread from one end of the battlefield to the other.
Valentina finally allowed herself to breathe.
Emma leaned against Luna.
"We're alive."
Luna smiled softly.
"…We are."
Magnolia looked toward Saijew.
The General wasn't smiling.
He wasn't even watching Jerusalem.
His gaze remained fixed upon the distant throne overlooking the battlefield.
His hand slowly tightened around the hilt of his sword.
Magnolia frowned.
"General?"
No answer.
Saijew's breathing had changed.
Steady.
Measured.
Like a man preparing himself.
Not for victory.
For judgment.
High above them…
Nero stood.
His crimson cloak drifted quietly behind him.
For hours he had remained seated.
Watching.
Listening.
Waiting.
Now…
He offered a respectful nod toward the throne opposite his own.
"It seems…"
His voice carried effortlessly across the distance separating two kings.
"…your turn has arrived."
The Pharaoh opened his eyes.
Golden irises reflected the dying sunlight.
His expression never changed.
Not satisfaction.
Not anger.
Only certainty.
Slowly…
He stood.
The ancient throne beneath him groaned.
Stone cracked.
Dust drifted into the wind.
Far below…
Every Egyptian soldier felt it.
One by one…
Weapons lowered.
Conversations ceased.
Even those too far away to see him instinctively turned toward the throne.
Emma frowned.
"…What's happening?"
Valentina's face had gone pale.
"…No…"
Magnolia looked between them.
"What is it?"
Saijew finally answered.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"His Majesty…"
The Pharaoh stepped forward.
One foot.
Nothing happened.
A second.
The wind disappeared.
The banners surrounding the battlefield stopped moving.
The dust hanging in the air settled unnaturally fast.
Even the cries of wounded soldiers seemed distant.
A third step.
Every contractor on the battlefield felt something stir within their contracts.
Ra.
Ares.
Nekhbet.
Ma'at.
Horus.
Even Kronos.
For the briefest moment…
Every divine presence acknowledged the same man.
Nero smiled.
"…Even time pays its respects."
The Pharaoh reached the final step.
His feet touched the battlefield.
No explosion followed.
No wave of divine energy.
Nothing.
And somehow…
That frightened everyone more.
He walked.
Not hurriedly.
Not slowly.
Simply forward.
Soldiers parted without command.
No one dared stand in his path.
His gaze passed over Magnolia.
Over Emma.
Over Saijew.
Over Valentina.
Then…
It stopped.
Ren.
The Pharaoh's footsteps ceased.
For the first time…
Something almost resembling recognition crossed his face.
He spoke a single word.
"…Ren."
Ren froze.
His heartbeat echoed louder than the battlefield.
"…How…"